Gatlinburg - Day 1 - I am a WRECK.

Alright, well, I wouldn't say that I am exactly a "wreck".  All in all, the trip has gone really, really well.  We left today to head to Gatlinburg for the Jubilee conference with our senior adults.  We have 11 including Landon, James, and me.  I wanted us to drive ourselves, but MeMaw in her subtle way told me to "Be quiet and just be ready to ride in the van and quit worrying about everything."  So, we rode in the van - because who goes against MeMaw Bramlett??  Not me :)  I love that woman!  James was fantastic on the drive up here.  He watched his little movies and just talked and ATE all the snacks MeMaw brought in her snack bag. 

Here's when things got interesting.  We pull up at the convention center to get registered.  I go in to take care of this.  When I go in, they cannot find our packet.  No problem at all - I have planned events in the past, and I know stuff sometimes just disappears!  They went to find it, came back out, and all was well.  So, I ask about our hotel.  She has to go back in the back again to get the information - again, no problem...she tell sme we are staying down the road at the Super 8.  I feel a little wary about this, but I am totally going with it.  I know we are in a tourist town and that hotel is probably fine.  We get the van going and head on to the Super 8.  Now listen, what I am about to say is just the truth.  It just is.  And, I am going to post it on Trip Advisor, so it's not like I'm talking behind this hotel's back.  They give us our rooms.  Already, I am not thrilled because it is an outside door hotel.  You know what I mean?  All the doors open to the outside?  Reminds me of a chorus trip.  Well, we give MeMaw and Papa the room on the bottom floor.  They open their room up to paint cans all over the floor and crazy looking stuff.  Um, okay.  They have to go request another room.  Then, another couple opens up their room a door down from us, and there are mattresses turned over EVERYWHERE and there is MOLD UP ONE WHOLE WALL.  Oh, no, I am not even joking.  I wish I was, but I am not.  So, we go into our room.  It's decent - but there is mold and mildew all in the bathroom around the baseboard.  Keep in mind we have a 2 year old.  Not cool.  He is already rolling around on all the beds and practically licking the furniture.  This is the first time we have had James in a hotel so this is a new challenge for me - not cool.   I understand that I cannot be completely neurotic, but I mean, please, it was really gross.  I promise.  So, we decide to do something about it.  The conference people send us to a new hotel.  We load our luggage back up in the van and head over to find our new hotel.  I am making this seem like a very simple process, but let me just assure you - it was not.  Our folks sometimes need some help carrying their luggage - and they should have it!  They can carry it themselves, but we want to help them.  And, there's no elevator at the good ole' Super 8.  Jokers.  So, Landon carries the stuff back down the stairs.  All.  the. stuff.  James is wigging out this whole time over wanting to be outside where his daddy is and wanting to go to the stairs and wanting basically anything that wasn't just sitting calmly in a chair and not touching anything. 

We get to the new hotel.  It is raining.  Not crazy rain, but normal rain.  Landon sends me on a wild goose chase to where he believes the hotel lobby is for me to check us in.  Guess what....I walk half a mile in the rain to another hotel that I think is our lobby, but it's not.  Oh, and it was down a big hill.  A big hill I then had to walk up.  Meanwhile, Landon is now looking for me.  He also experiences the hill and finds out that is not our hotel lobby.  All the peeps are waiting for us in the van.  Probably thinking....um, we're not letting the pastor and his family come on anymore trips with us.  We get up to our rooms.  They are nice.  They are very nice.  I am pleased.  But, let me be clear.  This is still a hotel.  Well, the first thing that happens is that there is a big sliding glass door that goes out onto a balcony.  James slams into it.  You know, like a bird slams into your window at home?  He doesn't realize it's a door and thinks it is just open.  Bless that baby's heart.  He did it another time and finally we had to really have a chat about how that is a door and you have to be really careful.  No nap today, you know.  So then, we head to eat at Subway before going into the conference.  The conference time was great - from what I got to see.  James hung in during the music - clapped his hands and did GREAT.  When Pastor Johnny got up to speak though, we had to dip out.  I wanted Landon to be able to hear him, so I followed James around while we looked for all the Monsters Inc. people (like Sully, Mike, and Boo) - why, I don't know, but this is what he wanted to do.  We walked around through all the booths until one lady said, "Um, m'am, you may need to just go on past this one." Or something like that.  So, James and I went down and played jump off the planters 150 times.  When I could hear that Pastor was finished, I texted Landon, who came to rescue me.  He walked us back to the hotel. 

Now then.  I am here.  At the hotel with James.   I HAVE to take a shower because I am a night shower-er.  And, we are dirty.  And, we have been in a gross hotel room.  So, I make him get in the shower with me.  Normally, I never do this because he is getting older, etc....you understand what I'm saying.  I knew though that I couldn't leave him in the hotel room alone while I was in the bathroom.  He already proved to us that he could easily open the door and get out alone.  So, we both got a shower.  Already at this point, he has thrown every toy he brought on the floor, wallowed around screaming (because he's so excited that we're here in the room together), and touched every single piece of furniture.  Put his mouth on the mirror.  You name it.  Took his pillow out of his pillowcase and just let it be all over the floor.  Burning that one when I get home.  Yuck.  We get out of the shower, and then I realize it.  I have not prepared well.  I do not have my clothes ready to put on, and I don't have James' clothes ready to put on.  But good night knows I have to get my clothes on as quickly as possible - before I get James' clothes on.  So, James is naked.  I spread one of his blankets out on the floor - trust me, it had already been all over the floor, and I tell him to stay on the blanket.  He keeps getting off the blanket over and over, and finally, I just cannot take it, and I am not a screamer, but my OCD self had enough - I screamed, "GET BACK ON THE BLANKET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  He got back on it.  Oh, and he took his toothbrush out of the bag and then dropped it on the hotel room carpet floor.  Oh my heavens.  Deep breath.  Deep breath.  Could someone get me a paper bag please??

He went to sleep quickly and I worked for a while.  What will tomorrow bring?  More wallowing?  More furniture licking?  Probably.  Whew, being a mom is hard work.  I had no idea a hotel would bring these kinds of challenges, which is clearly naive, but I just didn't think about it!!!  If you know us, pray for us. If you don't know us, pray for us.  Kelli asked me if I was crazy bringing James on this trip, and I didn't think I was....but I am rethinking.  And the thing is, he has been great.  Just a 2 year old thrown into a senior adult trip.  I am looking forward to sleeping tonight and waking up refreshed in the morning.  I have to go now and find my socks and tuck them into my pants and tuck my shirt into my pants.  Nighty-night.